different between enervate vs belittle

English

Etymology

From Latin ?nerv?tus, past participle of ?nerv? (“to weaken”).

Pronunciation

• (verb): IPA^(key): /??n.?(?)?ve?t/ (UK)
• (adjective): IPA^(key): /??n.?(?).v?t/ (UK)

Verb

enervate (third-person singular simple present enervates, present participle enervating, simple past and past participle enervated)

1. (transitive) To reduce strength or energy; debilitate.

   After being laid off three times in a row, she felt too enervated to look for another job.

2. (transitive) To weaken morally or mentally.
3. (medicine) To partially or completely remove a nerve.

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:enervate.

Synonyms

• (reduce strength): debilitate, weaken

Antonyms

• (reduce strength): strengthen, revive
• (reduce morally, mentally): bolster

Translations

Adjective

enervate (comparative more enervate, superlative most enervate)

1. Made feeble; weakened.

Anagrams

• venerate

Latin

Participle

?nerv?te

1. vocative masculine singular of ?nerv?tus

English

Etymology

From be- +? little. Coined by Thomas Jefferson in 1782

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /b??l?t.?l/

• Rhymes: -?t?l

Verb

belittle (third-person singular simple present belittles, present participle belittling, simple past and past participle belittled)

1. (transitive) To knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is, especially as a way of showing contempt or deprecation. [from 1782]

   Synonyms: understate, make light of, denigrate, degrade, deprecate, disparage, downplay, play down, trivialize, bagatellize

   Antonym: exaggerate

Derived terms

• belittled
• belittlement
• belittling

Translations

See also

• vilipend
• cut down

References